Tuesday, 31 December 2013

Thank you very much for following me, reading & commenting. I am very grateful for my readers and love being part of the blogging community.

The road to hell is paved with good intentions - hence I don't really do New Year's Resolutions, however, below are a couple of the things I'll be trying to incorporate into my beauty routine which occured to me over the course of the last couple of weeks !

Sunday, 29 December 2013

I was very excited when I spotted The L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadows in "002 Hourglass Beige" and "004 Forever Pink" when strolling through the beauty hall of a German department store.

I don't think I have seen those shades in England yet (and they do not appear to be available on either the Superdrug or Boots website).

I love shimmer (even bordering on glitter) and as I'm especially drawn to paler eyeshadows I had to give these a try as they looked extremely tempting.

I'm envisaging using these as accent colours on the lid give extra sparkle to a look!

(I'm thining they might be perfect for combining with looks created with my new Urban Decay Naked 3 palette!)

They swatch beautifully, blend out easily and the intensity is definetively buildable.

These shadows are extremely smooth and glide on (I have got "Eternal White" and am hoping that their staying power prooves to be as good as that shade on me).

Lesson learned: Normally when abroad I only check out brands I can't get in England but after this great find, I'll make sure I check out the usual drugstore brands for different launches when visiting Continental Europe!

Have you found products not available in England you'd recommend?Thanks so much for reading this post.

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Friday, 27 December 2013

I was very excited when got a message from Laura over at www.petitmoi-bigworld.co.uk (follow her on Twitter here) informing me that I had won her The Balm - Nude'tude Palette Giveaway - saying I was beyond excited is probably the understatement of the year!

I have now had time to play with it and experiment with creating different looks with it and thought I share my thoughts with you in case you are in the market for a new, beautifully pigmented, neutral palette!

The Packaging

The palette comes in sturdy cardboard packaging with a pretty vintage look - designed to reflect the nude colour theme of the palette - with a magnetic closure mechanism keeping it securely closed.

The palette is very slim, so great for easy storage in your collection.

It opens up to reveal 12 colours arranged from pale to dark, intense neutrals and a big mirror (super handy for on-the-go application).

The Shadows

The palette contains 12 powder shadows and a small double-ended brush (which I'm not currently using as I prefer my own selection of brushes).

"Sassy" is a creamy, white shade which will work equally well as a brow-bone highlight as an accent shade.

"Stubborn" is a silky, shimmery champage shade with rosy undertones which looks amazingly pretty on the lid.

"Snobby" is a warm, golden, shimmery shade.

"Stand-off" is a subtley shimmery pale rose gold shade ideal to pretty up your eye look in an instant.

"Selfish" is a light, grey-toned taupe shade which would make a great accent colour and lends itself to a silvery smokey eye look.

"Serious" is a matte, black shade ideal for a classic smokey eye look.

"Silly" is a sparkly bronze shade perfect for glitzing it up."Sleek" is a beautiful, dark brown matte shade great for adding extra emphasis to the crease.

My VerdictI love the quality of the shadows. They are creamy, pigmented, glide on and blend well - in short they deliver what I've come to expect from The Balm!

The shadows are very soft so accidental dropping of the palette should be avoided. The colour selection is great for any lover of neutral shadows and I believe they will allow me to create a multitude of looks - especially as I am a fan of light and mid-tone shades (with the option of adding dark accents for a smokey look).

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this palette!Thanks so much for reading this post.

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I really enjoyed using the YSL Forever Youth Liberator Foundation in "BR20 Beige Rose" for which I got colour-matched at the beginning of November. On me this foundation was really long-wearing (even without a primer) and created a luminous, super even complexion. Despite the fact that I used this foundation regularly throughout the month the bottle still looks completely full - two to three pumps were usually sufficient for a full face of make up.

I've been loving Max Factor's Whipped Creme Foundation in "Light Ivory" since I got it about two months ago. Applied with a brush it creates a beautiful, airbrushed-looking finish which lasts all day on me. Whilst "Light Ivory" looks scarily dark in the glass flacon once applied and sheered out and buffed in with a stippling brush it seamlessly blends into my skin. I'm really enjoying the whipped creme texture!

Ever since I got the Maybelline Instant Anti-Age The Eraser Eye Concealer in "Light" - I have not touched any other concealing product for use on my under-eye area (which really says it all). It lightens up the area beautifully without looking artificial, blends in like a dream and doesn't crease on me at all - basically perfection in concealer form!

I have really been loving Bourjois's Java Rice Powder (translucent so great for all skin tones) as a light illuminating finishing powder which set my make up beautifully without looking to powdery or cakey. (And can I just mention the uber-cute vintage-look packaging)

Benefit's Rocketeur has never been far from my cheeks this month - adding a subtle, mauvey hint of colour to them! I found this blush blendable and it wore well on me throughout the day!

MUA Undressed Too Palette

This month I used my MUA "Undressed Too" palette almost exclusively throughout the month (unfortunately again out of stock on the MUA website).

My favourite shades were Naked, Devotion, Shy, Fierty, Tranquil, Reveal & Wink (as I don't go in for super dark eye looks). I found the shades really blendable and - considering the £4 price point for the palette - they have amazing staying power and look beautifully when applied.

Which products did you enjoy this month?

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Picture courtesy of Enumi(as I a bit over-enthusiastically used the samples without taking pictures...)

My experience with the products included in the sample pack:

Challenge period: Monday, 25 November - Friday, 29 November 2013

(I found that there was enough product in the samples provided to slightly extends the 3-Day Challenge to get a better idea of how the products performed for me)

Gentle Facial Cleanser

The cleanser is a gel based cleanser which I used all over my face (excluding the eye area). I lathered it up with water and washed it off with the same.

It did remove make up effectively and left me with extremely clean skin (in fact I found with my skin having some dry areas, it was possibly a touch to efficient leaving it feeling a bit to dry for my personal liking and it didn't quite feel gentle enough for my skin - I can, however, see this working well for somebody with really oily skin or acne issues).

I used the cleanser in the morning and in the evening.

Refreshing Toner

I applied this twice daily using a cotton pad to remove any left over traces of the Gentle Facial Cleanser and refreshing the skin.

The Refreshing Toner worked very well for balancing my skin and removed any feeling of dryness after using the Gentle Facial Cleanser.

It felt great on my skin and I really liked it.

Life C Energizing Serum

I absolutely loved the serum right from the first application. It felt silky yet rich on application and was immediately absorbed by my skin adding an extra layer of moisture and making it feel super smooth and nicely plumped.

I also found that only a small amount was needed to cover my face and neck as it was very easy to spread.I used this twice daily.Protective Day Moisturizer with Broad Spectrum SPF15I loved the consistency of this moisturiser and having an in-built SPF is always great! I felt it provided my skin with a great moisture hit while at the same time sinking into my skin quickly and providing a good base for make-up application.My skin felt moisturised throughout the day and I did not feel the need to top up moisture levels during the day.Night Recovery CreamThe night recovery cream felt very moisturising without being overly heavy and I felt it worked very well together with the Life C Energizing Serum to create night-time appropriate moisture levels.My skin still felt nicely supple when waking up in the morning.Restoring Eye CreamThe Restoring Eye Cream was absolutely amazing!As a contact lense wearer I'm always on the lookout for a good, moisture-intensive eye cream which does not irritate my eyes or interferes with my contact lenses.The Restoring Eye Cream is super rich and I found I needed to use very little product to fully moisturise my entire eye area.I really enjoyed this product because I felt it really worked well for my dry, under-eye area!My Overall Verdict!I felt that the products performed well during the period of the Skincare Challenge. The least favourite for me being the cleaner as I found it a little bit too harsh for my skin.However, the rest of the range balanced this out.The toner and the day and night moisturiser worked well together and I would be happy to use them again.My favourite products were definitively the Life C Energizing Serum and the Restoring Eye Cream as I felt they respecticely left my skin glowing and it eradicated dryness from my under-eye area.The products did not cause any irritation and my skin was well moisturised throughout (furthermore it did not cause any breakouts).I think this range would be great to try if you want to step up your skin care regime and feel that you want to try out a range whose focus is on improving the complexion to achieve a natural glow.

If you want to check out Enummi go to their website here or just tweet Heather and I'm sure she'll be super happy to answer her any questions you may have!Click here to enter my Premae Giveaway!

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Friday, 29 November 2013

I'm excited to be part of The Skin Project blog series created by the lovely Lianne over at The Brunette Says!

I have found that in the last couple of years I've come much more aware of how skin care and make up are affecting my skin.

This awareness is not just restricted to watching out for and hopefully preventing signs of ageing but also making sure that sun damage is guarded against and that skin care and make up are chosen to suit my skin and promote skin health.

My Skin Type

My skin is quite pale with a warm undertone.

Consequently, products with an SPF are a must!

If I go anywhere with serious sun exposure SPF50 is a must and I have found for me frequent re-application is key to preventing sun burn e.g. when I go skiing I apply one layer before breakfast, one after and then re-apply at least every 90 minutes (that's what lift rides are for).

I'd describe 80% of my skin as dry with the exception of my nose which is sometimes slightly oilier so I'm conscious of having to strike a balance with my skin care!

Problem Areas

As I have got older I have become more prone towards redness around the nose area which in my case is triggered by sudden temperature change. (When I'm going skiing I'm always wearing a sunscreen with in-built wind and cold protection to guard against this).

I sometimes suffer from hormonal break outs in my chin area.

Wrinkle Alert

My key focus in terms of first signs of aging are my eyes!

As a contact lense wearer I'm aware that the regular wear of the same puts about five years on your skin age in the eye are due to the increased blinking frequency.

If I put my nose directly against the mirror I can see fine lines now so caring for my eye are is a must!

I also make sure that my neck area is always very well moisturised to keep the skin as supple as possible!

My Skin in Zones

Forehead: Dry

Cheeks: Normal to dry

Nose: Normal to oily

Chin: Normal but prone to hormonal break outs

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"The Safflower Flower, Vitamin A enriched formula offers a gentle emollient that works for Dry and Mature skin types and is ideal for dehydrated and chapped skin.Gently removes makeup and other impurities. Unclogs pores. Leaves skin healthy, fresh and illuminated."

My skin: I'd describe my skin as dry (with the exception of my nose...) with a particularly dry forehead but also quite sensitive and prone to redness if products are too harsh. To sum it up: I'm always looking for moisturising, gentle products to lock in moisture and maintain skin elasticity!

Review Period: Monday, 11 November - Sunday, 24 November inclusive

Usage: While reviewing the Premae Radiance Boost Cleansing Oil I used it twice daily. In the morning to give my skin a light, general clean and in the evening to clean and remove face as well as eye make up.

In the morning I put one pump of cleansing oil on a cotton wool pad and gently used it to cleanse my face. I followed this up with my own toner to remove any cleansing oil traces.

In the evening I used 1 and a half pumps on a cotton wool pad to remove my make up thoroughly and then I used a second, clean cotton wool pad with one pump of cleansing oil to remove my eye make-up as well.

Same as in the morning I followed with a toner to remove traces of oil.

How did the Radiance Boost Cleansing Oil perform & how did it make my skin feel?

I felt the product gave my skin a deep clean without stripping it of moisture or making it feel dry and over-cleansed.

On my skin it felt that the product locked in moisture and helped for my skin to feel moisturised after use.

It removed eye make-up well and because of the oil-based formula I felt it was particularly suitable for the eye area giving an additional moisture boost.

My Eyes & the Radiance Boost Cleansing Oil

As I have been wearing contact lenses for years my eyes are quite sensitive and I'm always careful to choose products which do not irritate my sensitive eye area.

I once accidentally got quite a lot of Radiance Cleansing Oil into my right eye when removing my make up and it did not burn at all. It took a couple of blinks to get it out but the entire time my eyes did not burn or water - truly remarkable!

I would highly recommend that if you have sensitive eyes and are worried about eye make up remover irritating them to give this a try!

My Overall Verdict

After two weeks of continuous use I felt that this cleanser worked well with my skin type keeping it moisturised while at the same time balancing out my slightly oilier nose area.

I experienced no irritations or break outs and found that this definitely worked well for adding extra moisture into my skin care routine!

In fact I'm so impressed with this brand that I have just gone and ordered the Harmony Holiday Xmas Duo Gift Set (containg the Harmony Balm & Serum and the Supreme Multi-Vit Serum) as I'm really keen to add some more extra moisture into my skin care routine!

The Snowflake-themed Giveaway!

Premae has kindly provide me with a full-sized Radiance Boost Cleansing Oil to give away to my readers and as we are nearing Christmas and I'm obsessed with snow and snowflakes, I thought I throw in this white M&S cup with red snowflakes too!

To enter you need to follow my blog on Bloglovin' and Google Friend Connect (you can also log in with Twitter if you don't have a GFC account) and you need to follow Premae Skincare on Twitter.

If you are under 18 please ensure that you have permission to enter as you will need to provide you postal address if you win!